Au-delà du temps d’écran : un programme de recherche affirmatif de la neurodiversité sur l’utilisation des écrans dans l’autisme

Titre original en anglais : Beyond Screen Time: A Neurodiversity-Affirmative Research Agenda for Screen Use in Autism

van Asselt, A. (2026). Beyond Screen Time: A Neurodiversity-Affirmative Research Agenda for Screen Use in Autism. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1177/25739581261452097

Date de publication: 25/05/2026 Ajout dans AutiHub: 06/08/2026 Type: Article Langue de l’article: Anglais

Cette publication est intégrée dans AutiHub via :

Auteurs

Auteur·ices des publications
1
Auteur·ices de la publication identifié·es comme autistes
1 / 1 (100,0 %)

Résumé

Le discours sur l’utilisation des écrans dans l’autisme est largement dominé par des récits axés sur les risques, fondés sur les déficits et alarmistes, souvent structurés autour de la notion temporelle de « temps d’écran ». Dans cet essai de perspective, je plaide en faveur d’un programme de recherche plus nuancé, sensible au contexte et affirmatif de la neurodiversité. En adoptant une approche éclairée par l’autoethnographie, je m’appuie sur mes expériences vécues en tant que personne autiste, ainsi que sur des données empiriques émergentes, pour soutenir que l’utilisation des écrans peut également aider les personnes autistes d’une manière étroitement alignée sur leurs besoins et leurs préférences. J’illustre comment l’utilisation des écrans m’a permis de satisfaire mes besoins fondamentaux, en particulier la prévisibilité, la sécurité, l’autonomie et un sentiment d’appartenance significatif, ce qui a à son tour facilité ma régulation du stress et des stimuli sensoriels, mon développement social, mon fonctionnement exécutif et ma santé mentale globale tout au long de la vie. Afin d’aller au-delà de conceptions limitées de l’utilisation des écrans dans l’autisme, je présente six principes clés pour un programme de recherche affirmatif de la neurodiversité : (1) adopter une terminologie qui rend compte de la manière et des raisons pour lesquelles les médias numériques sont utilisés (p. ex., « utilisation des écrans » ou « engagement envers les médias numériques ») ; (2) examiner les raisons, les fonctions et les contextes de cette utilisation ; (3) évaluer à la fois les bénéfices potentiels et les risques par rapport aux facteurs contextuels qui les façonnent ; (4) évaluer des résultats qui placent au centre l’autonomie, le pouvoir d’agir et le bien-être des personnes autistes ; (5) reconnaître et respecter les trajectoires développementales et les préférences neurodivergentes ; et (6) employer des approches participatives et mixtes. Ensemble, ces principes peuvent orienter la recherche, les recommandations et les politiques qui permettent des décisions plus sensibles au contexte et qui aident les personnes autistes à utiliser les écrans de manière à améliorer leur développement, leur santé mentale et leur bien-être selon leurs propres modalités.

Discourse on screen use in autism is largely dominated by risk-oriented, deficit-based, and alarmist narratives, often structured around the time-based construct of “screen time.” In this perspective essay, I argue for a more nuanced, context-sensitive, and neurodiversity-affirmative research agenda. Using an autoethnography-informed approach, I draw on my lived experiences as an autistic person alongside emerging empirical evidence to contend that screen use can also support autistic individuals in ways that closely align with their needs and preferences. I illustrate how screen use has enabled me to fulfill my core needs—particularly predictability, safety, autonomy, and meaningful belonging—which in turn facilitated my stress and sensory regulation, social development, executive functioning, and overall mental health across the lifespan. To move beyond limited framings of screen use in autism, I outline six key principles for a neurodiversity-affirmative research agenda: (1) adopt terminology that captures how and why digital media is used (e.g., “screen use” or “digital media engagement”); (2) examine the reasons, functions, and contexts of this use; (3) assess both potential benefits and risks in relation to the contextual factors that shape them; (4) evaluate outcomes that center autistic people’s autonomy, agency, and well-being; (5) acknowledge and respect neurodivergent developmental pathways and preferences; and (6) employ participatory and mixed-method approaches. Together, these principles can inform research, recommendations, and policies that enable more context-sensitive decisions and support autistic individuals to use screens in ways that enhance their development, mental health, and well-being on their own terms.

Bibliographie citée par cette référence

Les références citées sont importées depuis des sources externes de métadonnées lorsqu’elles sont disponibles. La liste peut être partielle.

Vue d’ensemble de l’inclusion dans la bibliographie

Ces indicateurs décrivent la bibliographie citée importée pour cette publication. Les métriques de références citées utilisent le total des références citées comme dénominateur. Les métriques d’auteurices cité·es indiquent si elles utilisent toutes les occurrences d’auteurices cité·es ou seulement les occurrences rattachées à des auteurices déjà intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub. Ils utilisent les rattachements mis en cache entre les auteurices cité·es et les auteurices intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub. Dernier calcul : 16/08/2026 11:31.

Références citées
59
Nombre total de références citées intégrées pour cette publication.
Références citées avec un·e auteur·ice identifié·e comme autiste
5 / 59 (8,5 %)
Occurrences d’auteur·ices cité·es identifié·es comme autistes
5 / 187 (2,7 %)
Parmi les occurrences rattachées à des auteurices intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub : 5 / 33 (15,2 %). Auteurices cité·es distinct·es identifié·es comme autistes : 5 / 182 (2,7 %).
Occurrences citées rattachées à la base AutiHub
33 / 187 (17,6 %)
Auteurices cité·es distinct·es rattaché·es : 29 / 182 (15,9 %)
Occurrences rattachées, non identifiées comme autistes
28 / 33 (84,8 %)
Parmi les seules occurrences rattachées. Sur l’ensemble des occurrences d’auteurices cité·es : 28 / 187 (15,0 %). Auteurices cité·es distinct·es rattaché·es, non identifié·es comme autistes : 24 / 29 (82,8 %).
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